By Mayor Andrew J. Ginther and city leaders have extended the service of Columbus Division of Police Chief Elaine Bryant by five years. She was appointed five years ago.
“Today is an affirmation of Chief Bryant’s vision, leadership, and performance,” said Mayor Ginther.
“She has delivered meaningful results for the people of Columbus during a critical time for public safety in our city. Columbus is safer today than it was five years ago, and the relationship between our police officers and the community continues to grow stronger under her leadership.”
Columbus made history in June 2021 by appointing the first police chief from outside the Division of Police. Chief Bryant is also the first Black woman to lead the Division. She assumed leadership during one of the most challenging periods in the Division’s history, with three clear priorities: reducing violent crime, improving officer morale, and strengthening police-community relations.
As of this date in 2021, the city had recorded 73 homicides. Today, that number stands at 21 — the lowest year-to-date homicide total in at least 26 years.
Chief Bryant championed collaboration through initiatives like the Crime Gun Intelligence Center, an interagency partnership with local, state, and federal law enforcement that significantly accelerated the analysis and tracing of crime guns, reducing turnaround times from months to days.
She also created the Non-Fatal Shooting Team, applying the same investigative expertise and resources used in homicide investigations to non-fatal shootings. That effort helped increase the closure rate for these cases to 92 percent in the pilot area, compared to 59 percent elsewhere in the city.
Chief Bryant strengthened partnerships and trust with residents through initiatives like Operation Unity, which combines data-driven enforcement with community-based resources and support for neighborhoods in need, and the Dialogue Team, which provides a safer and more effective approach to facilitating First Amendment activity.
She also prioritized innovation through the addition of an Investigative Genetic Genealogist to help solve long-unsolved cases and the creation of Beyond Enforcement, the first juvenile intervention program of its kind approved by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.
“I am grateful to Mayor Ginther for his trust and support, and I am proud to be of service for the next five years alongside the men and women of this Division,” said Chief Bryant.
“Public safety is a shared responsibility, and I am proud of what we have accomplished as a Division and as a community over the past five years. I look forward to continuing this legacy of improving safety, enhancing accountability, and rebuilding trust between the Division and the community.”
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